Welcome Back!
by Tchami
Summary: Leaving the adventuring to the others, you're content to cook hot meals for those who risk their lives. Having a cute, stoic girlfriend is a huge plus though. Reader insert story.


It was always full of life in the Moonlight Tavern. At first, the sound annoyed you. After working here for 3 months though, you've come to appreciate the sounds and atmosphere only a bustling tavern can give you. Adventurers from all over could be found here, eager to rest their bones with a hot meal and a cold drink.

You understood how stressful it was to constantly put yourself in danger, the lingering thread of your life being cut short with a simple slash of a blade. So, you do your best to cook some hot meals for these people who risk their lives to keep Arad safe. Humming to yourself while you cook up another order, you gently lay down a plate on the counter and ring the bell for Siusha to take it to the customer.

Thankfully, you were able to land a job here. It wasn't too taxing on your frail physique, being born with a weaker constitution than most people, making simple physical activities difficult for you. Thus, you settled for menial activities, like cooking and cleaning. For most people this would be seen as tedious and tiresome, but you find solace in making delicious food for people to eat.

In the corner of your eye, you spot Siusha walking towards you. "Hey kiddo. Working hard?" she says.

Your back immediately straightens. "Ah, hi boss! Yeah, I've just finished the last of the tickets for now. I was about to go on my break. To be honest, I'm kinda losing my breath…" you meekly giggle.

"Tsk tsk. What did I say about overworking? If you need to sit down for a bit, then just do so. Your food makes up for the time lost anyways." She gently winks.

An adventurer eavesdropping chimes in. "Yeah Y/N! Don't worry about us, we adventurers are made out of sturdy stuff. Having to wait a couple more minutes for some food aint a problem!"

Several more adventurers exclaim their agreement. For a moment, you're taken aback by the warm gratitude from everyone.

You blush and gently giggle. "Alright alright… I'll go take a break. It'll only be 5 minutes, I promise!"

Hearing a chorus of approval, you take your apron off and walk into the break room and plop yourself down onto a chair with a deep sigh. You're lucky your customers are so lenient with you, and that they all appreciate your food.

You gently close your eyes for a bit of rest…

**_SMASH!_**

Then… silence.

Or… not. With another heavy sigh, you pick yourself up. You recognize that sound anywhere, it could only mean one person after all.

Walking out of the break room, you finally spot her. It's your girlfriend, the infamous Redeemer. Herald of the first sin, Mistress, blah blah blah. To you though, she was Aurelia. She was looking rougher than usual, her short hair was disheveled, her normal combat attire sporting various splotches of blood all over. Various pieces of shredded leather and holes are scattered across her armor. You sigh and slowly walk over to her. Giving a gentle smile, you hold out your arms.

"Welcome back!"

_CLANG_

With a metallic clang, she drops her massive scythe on the ground, slightly denting the wooden floor. Slowly walking into your arms, she whimpers and buries her face into your chest. Wrapping your arms around her tightly, you give her a gentle pat on her head.

"Rough day, hm?" You whisper into her head. She gives a slight nod as a response. "Y/N… Can we please go into your room? Please…" she pleads.

Snapping out of your hypnotic embrace, you scan your eyes across the tavern and see eyes of varying emotions, some teasing, some filled with envy, and some filled with adoration.

It was no secret that you were Aurelia's anchor in the relationship. At first it came to you as odd, the way she acted to shamelessly towards you. However, you quickly warmed up to it, gaining a newfound appreciation for public displays of affection. Turning to Siusha, you give her a sheepish smile. "So… mind if I take a longer break?"

She sighs and giggles softly. "Go ahead, I owe your cute little girlfriend a lot anyways. You can crash upstairs, I have a spare bed. I can handle the rest of the orders, and I'm sure the customers don't mind." She says, gesturing to the number of awestruck adventurers.

You give a quick, polite bow. "Thanks boss. C'mon Aurelia, let's get you cleaned up okay?"

She gives nothing but a grunt in response. As you stand up to move upstairs, you're suddenly reminded of the gruntled girl in your hands. "Aurelia?"

She grunts again.

"Could… you stand up? We gotta go upstairs, okay?" You gently ask.

You feel her arms tighten around your waist even harder. "No. Carry me."

You can almost _smell_ the pout.

"Ugh… fine. Jeez, you really are a spoiled brat, aren't you." You chide her teasingly. Taking a deep breath, you slowly lift her torso into your arms, carrying her bridal style up the stairs.

The dim light of the candlelight slowly flickers, bringing a slight brightness in the room. The only other source of light is the pale moonlight shining through the window. Various bloody pieces of cloth are scattered around you, a small water basin is perched beneath your feet. Your girlfriend is sitting on the bed, simply letting you clean her.

After several minutes of gentle swabbing and cleaning, you let out a tiny sigh of content. "Alright, I think I cleaned everything… you really got roughed up out there today, huh?" You say as you stand up to sit next to her.

She says nothing, opting to simply wrap her arms around you again. You softly giggle. "Hey… what's wrong? What happened today?"

She mutters one word. "Anton."

"Oh, you poor thing…" you say, slowly wrapping your arms around her waist. "Would you like to sleep early tonight? I promise I'll be right here." You offer.

She eagerly nods her head. That settles it.

Pulling her into the warm confines of the blanket, you slowly tighten your arms around her waist, hearing a sigh of content come from her. Soon after, she falls asleep. It doesn't take much longer for you to follow.


End file.
